Handrail gate lock

ABSTRACT

A gate having a gate arm, lock and hinge, for use with a handrail. The gate in closed position retains the structural integrity and peripheral profile of the handrail. The hinge consists of two connectors, each pivotally connected to a link by pins. The connectors pivot about the pins, enabling the gate arms to pivot through 180°. The lock includes two mating components, one component having a plug and the other having a socket for receiving the plug. A depressable button secures the plug within the socket. For use with handrails made from tubing, the hinge and lock components includes stubs insertable into the tubing. All components in the closed position of the gate compactly fit together and are shaped to provide peripheral continuity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/799,472, filed 11 Mar. 2004 and titled HANDRAIL GATE, HINGEAND LOCK.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to connections for tubular structures suitablefor use as handrails, and more particularly to a hinge and lock that canbe attached to a standard handrail to form, together with an arm in theform of a short tubular rail component, a pivotally openable gate thatopens and closes the handrail where it is necessary to have a closeableaccess through the handrail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Usually, handrails consist of horizontally and vertically arranged andconnected metal hollow tubes of a selected cross-section, frequentlycircular. The handrails may be supported on a wall by horizontalmounting posts or may be supported from a floor by posts or stanchions,which are spaced from one another. The stanchions and wall mountingposts are interconnected by lengths of generally horizontal hollowtubing constituting the handrail, but the handrail may also be inclinedor vertical along staircases or ladders. Handrails are installed toimprove the safety of a specific site and to serve as a support inwalking and climbing. In many industrial and civil buildings, handrailsare an indispensable installation required by safety regulations.

In some places, it is necessary to make available an opening in thehandrail to enable access to an area on the other side of the handrail.In many cases, those openings are simply left free as they do not needto be further secured (for example, when a handrail along a sidewalk isdiscontinued and restarted again to create an opening for accessing acrosswalk). In other sites, however, such openings reduce the safety ofthe installation, particularly where a handrail separates two areassituated at different levels. In those cases, it is desirable to securethe opening by creating some barrier or gate so the handrail constantlyserves its safety purpose in its full length, but can be opened whenneeded.

Such gates within handrails can be commonly found in many manufacturingbuildings, in the construction industry and in the marine industry, ofwhich the field of recreational yachting is important. When an openingin the handrail is essential for a staircase, construction elevator,permanent ladder, or for boarding a vessel, some previous ratherunsatisfactory designs for an openable section of the handrail thatwould maintain the structural integrity of the handrail have beenproposed. It is desirable that any gate when closed, form an essentiallyuninterrupted continuum with the adjoining portions of the handrail, sothat one's hand can pass along the gate and adjoining railing withoutimpediment, and so that little or no risk of catching a glove or asleeve occurs when gripping the railing in the gate portion or adjoiningportions. It is further desirable that the gate be secure when closed.It is further desirable that all connecting parts, such as hinges,clasps and locks, be simple, reliable, easily manufactured, and strongenough for the purpose. Unfortunately, previously known gatearrangements have fallen short of one or more of these objectives.

In the industry, closing of a gate providing a temporarily open sectionof a handrail is typically achieved by mounting a simple hinge at oneside of the gate bar or tube. The hinge connects one end of thestationary handrail with a sectional pivoting arm constituting the gatebar or tube, usually moving in a ninety degree angle. The arm is longenough to reach the other side of the temporary opening in the handrail,where it is usually received by a mating saddle-type receptacle attachedto a horizontal part of the adjoining stationary handrail. Because theclosed pivoting arm is not secured or locked by any means, but simplyrests in the saddle and can be accidentally opened by bumping into itfrom the bottom, the gate constitutes a potentially hazardous section ofthe handrail. In addition, the hinge attachment, which represents theonly means of permanent connection of the arm, can be easily damagedwhen a force is applied to the closed pivoting arm from its side.

To prevent accidental opening of such a conventional gate, holes areoften drilled through the pivoting arm and through the handrail saddle,and removable bolts or pins are inserted into the holes to ensure thatthe closed arm does not open by accident nor move when a generallyhorizontal force is applied to it. However, obtrusive elements, such asexposed bolt heads and pins, reduce the overall safety of the handrail,as they can cause hand injuries when a person suddenly grips thehandrail. Accordingly, although the conventional design of the mountablepivoting arm is advantageous to a limited extent, the methods ofattachment and locking of the arm to the stationary handrail presentpotential opportunities for improvement.

For marine use, and typically in the construction of handrails forrecreational yachts and the like, openings in the handrails, if securedat all, are commonly secured by mounting a stainless steel chain andhook, or a plastic coated stainless steel wire cable and hook, tostanchions or posts or terminating stationary rail elements at the endsof the opening. Alternatively, movable wooden handrail gates withprotruding conventional hinges and expensive hardware may span theopening. Devices such as cables or chains do not retain the structuralintegrity of the boat handrail and are not safe in harsh weatherconditions. Additionally, for yachting use, the overall aestheticappearance of the handrail structure is an important issue, and currentdesigns of hook and cable do not entirely satisfy the expected demandsof boat owners for aesthetically pleasing designs.

Therefore, despite the obvious need for a safe and convenient handrailgate design, there has not heretofore been any completely satisfactorysolution to the problem of providing a simple gate section in thehandrail that would retain the structural integrity of the originalhandrail and at the same time be both aesthetically pleasing and safe.

It is apparent that the objectives of structural integrity and aestheticappeal can be met by providing a handrail gate having the samecross-section as the stationary portion of the handrail. The problem isto provide a hinge on one end of the gate and a lock at the other end ofthe gate that maintain a uniform cross-section throughout the handrailwhen the gate is closed, even at points of connection. Such hinge andlock should be inexpensive, safe, easy to manufacture, install and use,aesthetically pleasing, durable and solid enough to resist occasionalimpacts accidentally caused by users without being displaced orsufficiently damaged to interfere with satisfactory operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a combination of ahinge and lock for interconnecting a standard tubular handrail(typically but not necessarily made of round tubing) with a pivoting armto form a gate within the handrail that retains the structural integrityof the original handrail, and is safe and aesthetically pleasing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge and lockmountable on or connectable to a standard tubular handrail and on or toa mating pivotable gate arm, that are easy to manufacture, install anduse, and that are at the same time durable and reliable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge asaforesaid that enables pivoting of the gate arm through an angle up toabout 180°.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gate lock asaforesaid that when in the closed position resists longitudinaltensional forces across the gate opening.

The hinge and the lock of the present invention can be usedindependently of one another.

The hinge and the lock of the present invention are substitutes for thehinge and lock described in Applicant's previously filed Canadian patentapplication Ser. No. 2,314,839, filed on 2 Aug. 2000. For convenience ofdescription, some of the content of Applicant's previously filedCanadian patent application is repeated in this application.

The hinge and lock may be installed and used in various orientations,but for ease of explanation in this specification, including the claims,the hinge and lock are referred to as if they are in the closed positionwhen installed on a horizontal handrail. More particularly, thefollowing words have the following meanings:

-   1. “longitudinal” refers to movement and directions substantially    parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handrail and gate arm when    the gate arm is in the closed position; and-   2. “lateral” refers to side-to-side movement and directions, that    is, those that are substantially horizontal and substantially    perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handrails and gate arm    when the gate arm is in the closed position.

The gate according to the invention is particularly suitable for usewith an elongate handrail or the like that has one or more open gatewaysthat need to be locked (latched) closed from time to time. Each gatewayexists between two spaced terminals of the handrail, one terminal oneither side of the gateway.

Preferably, the gate includes a pivotable gate arm, preferably havingthe same profile in cross-section as the handrail, and pivotally movablefrom a closed locked position to a fully open position at which the gatearm lies next to the adjoining stationary handrail. Even though the gatearm itself may be substantially uniform along its length or at leastlongitudinally symmetrical, the two ends of the gate arm mayconveniently be referred to as the gate hinge end and the gate lock end,since one end of the gate arm is fastened to a hinge for hingedlyconnecting the hinge end of the gate arm to one terminal, convenientlyreferred to as the handrail hinge terminal, and the other end of thegate arm is fastened to one component of a two-component lock. The otherlock component is fastened to the other terminal of the handrail,conveniently referred to as the handrail lock terminal. The two lockcomponents matingly engage one another as the lock end of the gate armmoves into alignment with the lock terminal of the handrail.

The two lock components are respectively provided with mating componentsof a lock that is operative to releasably secure the gate arm to thehandrail when the lock end of the gate arm is aligned with theneighbouring lock terminal of the handrail, and the mating lockcomponents have come into engagement with one another. A release meanssuch as a depressable projecting button is provided for releasing thetwo lock components from one another after they have locked together.

The lengths of the gate arm and of the hinge and lock components areselected so as to provide a substantially uninterrupted continuum of theentire handrail structure (including the gate arm), when the gate arm isin the closed position. To optimize the structural continuity, theperipheral profile of the hinge and of the lock components are selectedto be identical to or at least to merge with the peripheral profile ofthe gate arm and the handrail.

Handrails are typically made of hollow tubing. Round tubing is the mostcommon and generally the least expensive to manufacture. According tothe preferred embodiment of the invention, the hinge and lock componentsare provided with stubs insertable into the tubing, preferably in atight fit or at least a snug fit. Auxiliary securing means are alsopreferably provided to fasten the hinge and lock elements in placeduring normal use.

In accordance with the present invention, there is also provided a lockhaving two mating elements referred to herein as the active lockcomponent and the passive lock component. The active lock component hasa plug that projects substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the handrail or gate arm, as the case may be, to which it isattached when the active lock component is installed. The passive lockcomponent has a socket sized and shaped for receiving the plug. Thesocket has longitudinally-extending side walls so as to impede lateralmovement of the active lock component relative to the passive lockcomponent when the plug is in the socket; and a laterally-extending endwall so as to impede longitudinal movement of the active lock componentrelative to the passive lock component when the plug is seated in thesocket.

The lock includes means for releasably securing the plug within thesocket so as to releasably secure the passive and active lock componentsone to the other. Preferably, the means for releasably securing the plugwithin the socket comprises a depressable button projecting from theplug and a hole in the socket through which the button projects when theplug is seated within the socket and the active and passive lockcomponents are in the closed position.

Accordingly, the plug and socket, and button and socket, interlock so asto resist any motion of the active lock component relative to thepassive lock component when the lock components are in the closedposition.

Preferably, the active and passive lock components include surfaces onone or both lock components configured to guide the plug and socket intoproper alignment during movement of the lock components to the closedposition. Preferably, these guiding surfaces include surfaces that tendto guide the lock components longitudinally such as where the disengagedlock components longitudinally overlap too much, or not enough, forproper interlocking of the plug and socket. Further, these guidingsurfaces also preferably include a surface or surfaces tending to guidethe lock components laterally, so as to laterally align the lockcomponents during closing. Laterally-guiding surfaces may be desirablewhen there is sufficient lateral play in the gate arm to permit lateralmisalignment of the lock components.

Further, the laterally-guiding surfaces also preferably include asurface on the plug, or within the socket, that guides the plug withinthe socket during closing such that the button is pushed against a sidewall of the socket so as to depress the button. This button-depressinglaterally-guiding surface preferably comprises a planar surface on theside of the socket opposite the hole The planar surface is inclinedrelative to the plane defined by the opening and closing pivotalmovement of the gate arm such that when the plug contacts the planarsurface during closing the planar surface guides the plug to movesimultaneously laterally towards the hole and downward, so as to depressthe button and move it towards alignment with the hole.

The peripheral profile of the lock components are preferably selected tobe identical to, or at least to merge with, the peripheral profile ofthe gate arm and the handrail, when the lock components are in theclosed position. When the gate arm and handrail are made from roundtubing, the visible portions of the closed lock components areconfigured so as to combine to form a cylindrical peripheral profile ofsubstantially the same diameter as the gate arm and handrail. Preferablythe overlapping visible portions of the lock components are eachsemi-cylindrical. The semi-cylindrical portion of the passive lockcomponent contains the socket and hole. The plug projects from thesemi-cylindrical portion of the active lock component. The visibleportions of the lock components may also each comprise a cylindricalcollar, integral with the respective semi-cylindrical portion andadjoining the relevant handrail or gate arm when the relevant lockcomponent is installed.

For use with handrails and gate arms made from hollow tubing, the lockcomponents preferably each have a stub portion for insertion into thegate lock end or the handrail lock terminal, as the case may be,preferably in a snug or tight fit, so as to attach the lock componentsto the handrail and gate arm.

For use with handrails and gate arms made from round hollow tubing, eachstub preferably is substantially cylindrical and has an externaldiameter the same as or slightly smaller than the internal diameter ofthe tubing. Preferably, each stub is hollow and is provided withcircumferentially-spaced longitudinally-extending slits to permit thestub to be slightly compressed to facilitate insertion. Preferably thestub has one or more retainer wedges, each having a relatively-longgently-inclined top surface that permits easy insertion of the stub anda short end surface that forms a sharp corner with the gently-inclinedsurface, which sharp corner engages the inner wall of the tubing so asto resist removal of the stub. Preferably each stub is provided withbevelled or chamfered distal edges to facilitate the initial insertionof the stub into the tubing.

Each stub is also preferably additionally secured within the relevanthandrail or gate arm by a fastener such as a headless screw. Thefastener is preferably installed by drilling a hole through the handrailor gate arm, and the relevant stub after the stub has been inserted intothe handrail or gate arm. If required for the particular fastener, thehole may then be tapped with the appropriate threads and the fastener,such as a headless screw or other screw, is then screwed into position.The fastener need not be a headless screw and may be a regular machinescrew with a head, a rivet or a variety of other fasteners.

In accordance with the foregoing objectives, there is provided animproved hinge for hingedly connecting the handrail hinge terminal tothe gate hinge end. The hinge includes two connectors and a link, eachconnector being separately pivotally attached to the link. Eachconnector is attached to the link such that each connector may pivotroughly 90° relative to the link, such that the connectors can pivotthrough roughly 180° relative to each other.

Preferably, the link and connectors are configured such that a portionof each connector abuts the link when the gate arm to which the hinge isattached is in the closed position so as to impede pivotal movement ofthe gate arm in the direction opposite the opening direction. As well, aportion of each connector abuts the link when the gate arm to which thehinge is attached is pivoted to a fully open position roughly 180° fromthe closed position, such that the gate arm is substantially parallel tothe adjoining handrail. In this way the hinge impedes pivotal movementof the gate arm beyond roughly 180° between the closed position and thefully open position. This structural arrangement lends to the hinge amotion-limiting characteristic permitting the gate arm to pivot from theclosed position to the fully open position only in one generaldirection, usually upward. Accordingly, in the closed position, the gatearm will tend to remain coaxial with the stationary handrail, and willtend not to collapse or pivot downwardly even if it is not supported atits distal end.

Preferably, the connectors are essentially identical one to the otherand each comprises a clevis having two spaced-apart fingers and a webspanning the fingers at the base of the fingers, the clevis fingersdefining a clevis gap, with the clevis gaps being of substantiallyidentical widths. Preferably, the link is a generally-rectangularparallelepiped interposed between the clevis fingers of each connectorand pivotally connected to each connector by a pin through aligned holesin the link and the relevant connector. The link is sized for insertioninto the clevis gaps such that the width of the link is selected to beslightly less than the width of the clevis gap. Preferably, a portion ofthe web of each connector abuts a portion of the adjoining end of thelink when the gate arm is in the closed position so as to impede pivotalmovement of the gate arm in the direction opposite the openingdirection. Preferably, a portion of the web of each connector abuts theupper surface of the link when the gate arm is in the fully openposition so as to impede pivotal movement of the gate arm beyond roughly180° from the closed position. Preferably, the portions of the webs andlink that abut when the gate arm is in the closed position aresubstantially planar surfaces that are substantially perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis of the gate arm and handrail. Alternatively, thelink ends and webs may be configured such that the abutting surfaces aresubstantially parallel to, or inclined relative to, the longitudinalaxis of the gate arm and handrail.

Alternatively, the link may include two link devises and each connectormay include a projection inserted into, and pivotally attached to, alink clevis, such that the connector projection pivots within the linkclevis. Alternatively, neither the link nor the connectors may have aclevis, and the link and connectors may merely overlap side-by-siderather than a portion of one being interposed between fingers projectingfrom the other.

The peripheral profile of the hinge is preferably selected to beidentical to, or at least to merge with, the peripheral profile of thegate arm and the handrail, when the gate arm is in the closed position.Preferably the link and connectors are configured such that when thegate arm is closed, the distal ends of the devises abut each other andthe top and bottom surfaces the link span the gaps defined by thefingers and the web such that the connectors and link form, to thecasual observer, one seemingly-solid piece. When the gate arm andhandrail are made from round tubing, the outer surfaces of the clevisfingers, and the top and bottom surfaces of the link, are curved andcombine, in the closed position, to form a cylindrical peripheralprofile of substantially the same diameter as the gate arm and handrail.

For use with handrails and gate arms made from hollow tubing, theconnectors preferably each have a stub portion, essentially identical tothe lock component stub portions, for insertion into the gate hinge endor the handrail hinge terminal, as the case may be, so as to attach theconnectors to the handrail and gate arm.

The hinge and lock components can be conveniently manufactured so as notto have any sharp nor obtrusive parts or edges, thus permitting them toconstitute an integral part of the hand railing. In order to mergevisually and structurally with the rest of the handrail, the hinge andlock may be fabricated out of the same material as the handrail. Forvisual continuity, they may have the same surface finishing as thehandrail. The hinge and lock may be made from diverse materials, such asstainless steel and aluminum.

A longitudinal series of gate arms, hinges and locks can be arrangedtogether, thereby creating the possibility of opening large handrailsections. A preferred such combination makes use of a central stanchionthat is itself hinge-coupled, or otherwise releasably attached, to abottom pedestal, permitting the entire stanchion, apart from thepedestal, to be: collapsed pivotally downwardly so as to assume ahorizontal orientation, or to be removed. The stanchion receives twoindividually operable gates, themselves coupled by the hinge connectionsto tubular railings on either side of the stanchion, and locking to thestanchion. By opening both gates and collapsing the stanchion downwardlyor removing the stanchion, it would be possible to create a relativelylarge opening in the handrail. Further, the stanchion and gate arms maybe configured such that with the stanchion in its normal uprightposition, one gate arm may be opened, leaving the other gate arm closed.

It will be clear that the gate arm need not open only vertically. Thehinge and lock may be installed in a variety of orientations as desired.

The present invention provides many advantages over previously knowndesigns. It offers a simple and ingenious solution to the problem ofsecuring handrail openings (gates). To a great extent, it retains thestructural and peripheral integrity of the original handrail, it isdurable and strong, and it presents few protrusions or obstructions thatcan cause injuries. The preferred embodiments provide constraints thatprevent or limit motion of the gate arm in undesired directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hinge and lock according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention mounted on a standardhandrail shown in a closed position.

FIG. 2 is a partly cross-sectional view along the line I-I in FIG. 1 ofa hinge of the type illustrated in FIG. 1, in the closed position.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the handrail hinge of FIG. 1, shown ina fully opened position.

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the passive component of a lockaccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention mounted onto theend of the handrail opposite that shown in FIG. 3A and separated fromthe end of the handrail shown in FIG. 3A by the width of the gate arm.Viewing FIGS. 3A and 3B together, one perceives an open gateway, thegate arm being folded over onto the handrail portion to which it isconnected.

FIG. 4 is a view partly in cross-section along the line II-II in FIG. 3Aof a fully opened hinge.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the active lockcomponent of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view showing the active lock componentof FIG. 6 with the parts of the depressable button.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the passive lockcomponent of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an alternative perspective view showing the passive lockcomponent of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a partly sectional view of the active lock component showingthe parts of the depressable button.

FIG. 10A is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of thepassive and active lock components of the present invention showingfirst contact between the lock components during closing when the lockcomponents are longitudinally misaligned so as to overlap more thanrequired for full closure.

FIG. 10B is a lateral sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11A is a longitudinal sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIG. 10A, showing first contact between the lockcomponents during closing when the lock components are longitudinallymisaligned so as to overlap less than required for full closure.

FIG. 11B is a lateral sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12A is a longitudinal sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIGS. 10A and 11A, showing a position of the lockcomponents during closing, between first contact and the fully closedposition.

FIG. 12B is a lateral sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIG. 12A.

FIG. 13A is a longitudinal sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIGS. 10A, 11A and 12A, showing the lock componentsin the fully closed position.

FIG. 13B is a lateral sectional view of the passive and active lockcomponents shown in FIG. 13A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 13B show a preferred embodiment of the present inventionfor use with handrails made of round tubing. FIG. 1 shows the hinge 1,handrail 2, gate arm 3 and lock 9 in the closed position.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 4, the hinge includes a link 5 and twoconnectors 4, 6. The two connectors are substantially identical to eachother and are interchangeable. For ease of description, they are namedherein according to how they are shown installed in FIGS. 1, 3A and 4,being, a fixed connector 4 attached to the handrail 2 and a mobileconnector 6 attached to the gate arm 3. Each connector 4, 6 has a clevis41, 61 (respectively) and a stub 42, 62 (respectively). The fixedconnector clevis 41 includes two spaced-apart fingers, a first fixedfinger 43 and a second fixed finger 44, having opposedsubstantially-parallel planar surfaces, and a web, the fixed web 45,spanning the fixed fingers 43, 44 at their bases. Likewise, the mobileconnector clevis 61 includes two spaced-apart opposed fingers, a firstmobile finger 63 and a second mobile finger 64, having opposedsubstantially-parallel planar surfaces, and a web, the mobile web 65,spanning the mobile fingers 43, 44 at their bases.

The link 5 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped (with curved upperand lower surfaces, as described below). The link 5 is interposedbetween the fixed fingers 43, 44 and pivotally attached to the fixedconnector clevis 41 by a pin 18 passing through aligned holes in thefixed fingers 43, 44 and the link 5. Likewise, the link is interposedbetween the mobile fingers 63, 64 and pivotally attached to the mobileconnector clevis 61 by a pin 18′ passing through aligned holes in themobile fingers 63, 64 and the link 5. The gap between the fixed fingers43, 44 is substantially the same as the gap between the mobile fingers63, 64.

The link 5 is sized and shaped such that, when the gate arm 3 to whichthe link 5 is attached is in the closed position, the link 5substantially fills the space defined by the fingers 43, 44, 63, 64 andthe webs 45, 65, such that the upper link surface 53 and the lower linksurface 54 (as shown in FIG. 2) substantially visually blend with thedevises 41, 61. In the embodiment shown in the drawings the handrail 2and the gate arm 3 are made of cylindrical tubing; and the devises 41,61 have curved outer surfaces that closely match the external profile ofthe handrail 2 and the gate arm 3, and the upper link surface 53 andlower link surface 54 are similarly curved.

The link 5 and webs 45, 65 are configured to limit the range of pivotalmovement of the hinge 1 to roughly 180°, being between the closedposition in which the gate arm 3 and adjoining handrails 2 are alignedand substantially coaxial as shown in FIG. 1, and the fully openposition in which the gate arm 3 is positioned alongside andsubstantially parallel to the handrail 2 as shown in FIG. 3A. In theclosed position, as shown in FIG. 2, a first portion of each web 45, 65abuts the ends of the link 5 so as to impede downward pivoting of any ofthe connectors 4, 6 or link 5 relative to each other. In the openposition, a second portion of each web 45, 65 abuts the upper linksurface 53 so as to impede pivoting movement of the hinge 1 beyondroughly 180° from the closed position. In this way, each connector 4, 6is limited to roughly 90° of pivoting movement relative to the link 5.As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, the fingers 43, 44, 63, 64 have bevelled orpartially curved ends so as to permit the connectors 4, 6 to pivot pasteach other during the opening and closing of the gate arm 3.

The stubs 42, 62 are for attaching the relevant connectors 4, 6 to theassociated handrail 2 and gate arm 3. In the embodiment shown in thedrawings, the handrail 2 and gate arm 3 are made of cylindrical tubing.The stubs 42, 62 are configured for insertion into the handrail 2 andgate arm 3. The stubs 42, 62 each comprise a hollow cylindrical bodywith an external diameter substantially the same as, or slightly lessthan, the internal diameter of the handrail 2 and gate arm 3. In theembodiment shown in the drawings, each stub 42, 62 has fourlongitudinally extending slits 11 and two retainer wedges 12. The slits11 permit the stubs 42, 62 to be slightly compressed for insertion intothe handrail 2 and gate arm 3. The retainer wedges 12 have arelatively-long gently-inclined top surface that permits easy insertionof the stubs 42, 62, and a short end surface that forms a sharp cornerwith the gently-inclined surface, which sharp corner engages the innerwall of the hand rail 2 and gate arm 3, as the case may be, so as toresist removal of the relevant stub 42, 62.

Each stub 42, 62 is also preferably additionally secured within therelevant handrail 2 or gate arm 3 by a fastener such as a headless screw13, as shown in FIG. 4. The headless screw 13 is installed by drilling ahole through the handrail 2 or gate arm 3, and the relevant stub 42, 62,after the stub 42, 62 has been inserted into the handrail 2 or gate arm3. The hole is then tapped with the appropriate threads and the headlessscrew 13 is screwed into position. The headless screw 13 is preferablyscrewed into one of those sections of the relevant stub 42, 62 boundedby two slits 11 that does not have a retainer wedge 12, so that thesection of the relevant stub 42, 62 through which the headless screw 13is screwed is not held away from the inner wall of the handrail 2 orgate arm 3 by a retainer wedge 12. Generally, it is preferable foraesthetic reasons that the headless screws 13 be located on theunderside of the handrail 2 and the underside of the gate arm 3, whenthe gate arm 3 is in the closed position, so that the headless screws 13are not normally visible. The fastener need not be a headless screw 13and may be a regular machine screw with a head, a rivet or a variety ofother fasteners. Alternatively, the stub may be secured within thetubing by welding, such as by spot welding at a hole drilled in thetubing.

It will be clear that the connectors 4, 6 could be attached to thehandrail 2 and gate 3 by means other than insertable stubs 42, 62, suchas by welding.

As shown in FIGS. 5 through 13 B, the lock 9 includes a passive lockcomponent 7 and an active lock component 8. The passive lock component 7has a socket 70. The active lock component 8 has a plug 72 for matinglyengaging the socket 70, and a radially-projecting depressable latchingbutton 74 that engages a button hole 76 in the passive lock component 7for securing the plug 72 within the socket 70 so as to secure the lockcomponents 7, 8 one to the other. The button 74 and socket 70 should ofcourse have mating cross-sectional configurations and dimensions, butthese need not be circular. The preferred circular cross-section of eachis illustrated.

Each lock component 7, 8 includes a stub, the passive lock componentstub 78 and the active lock component stub 80 as the case may be, thatis in all relevant details substantially identical to the connectorstubs 42, 62 previously described, and that may be installed in the samemanner as the connector stubs 42, 62.

The embodiment of the lock 9 shown in the drawings is for use withhandrails 2 and gate arms 3 made of round tubing; and the portions ofthe lock components 7, 8 that are visible when installed and when thegate arm 3 is in the closed position, have surfaces that closely matchthe external profile of the handrail 2 and gate arm 3.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the socket 70 is defined by aninner end wall 82, an outer end wall 84, a curved side wall 86, astraight side wall 88 and a guide side wall 90. The inner end wall 82 issubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passive lockcomponent 7. The outer end wall 84 has a lower wall lip 92 that issubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passive lockcomponent 7, and an upper wall lip 94 that is inclined relative to thelower wall lip 92. The curved side wall 86 contains the button hole 76.The curved side wall 86 adjoins the straight side wall 88.

The plug 72 has an end face 96, an end guide face 98, an inner face 100,a curved side face 102, a straight side face 104 and an inclined sideface 106. The end face 96 is substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the active lock component 8. The end guide face 98adjoins, and is inclined relative to, the end face 96. The inner face100 has a lower face lip 108 that is substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the active lock component 8, and an upper face lip110 that is inclined relative to the lower face lip 108. The button 74projects from the curved side face 102. The curved side face 102 adjoinsthe straight side face 104.

As shown in FIG. 9, the button 74 has a button shoulder 112 containedwithin the button sleeve 114. The button sleeve 114 is secured within acavity in the active lock component 8 and is preferably a metal sleevepressed in a tight fit into a bore in the active lock component 8. Aspring 116 within the button sleeve 114 biases the button shoulder 112against an annular retainer 118 at the outward end of the button sleeve114, such that the button 74 is spring-biassed to project from thecurved side face 102. The spring 116 is selected so that the button 74may be manually depressed.

FIGS. 10A through 13B show some of the possible positions of the passivelock component 7 and active lock component 8 relative to each otherduring closing of the gate arm 3. FIGS. 10A and 11A show the initialcontact between the passive lock component 7 and the active lockcomponent 8 in situations where there is a slight longitudinalmisalignment of the lock components 7, 8, such as perhaps might be dueto the gate arm 3 being the incorrect length, for example, too long inFIG. 10A and too short in FIG. 11A. In FIG. 10A, the point of firstcontact is between the top of the inner end wall 82 and the end guideface 98, and as the active lock component 8 moves towards engagementwith the passive lock component 7, the incline of the end guide face 98helps to guide the plug 72 into the correct longitudinal position toengage the socket 70. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11A, the point offirst contact may be between the bottom of the lower face lip 108 andthe upper wall lip 94, and as the active lock component 8 moves towardsengagement with the passive lock component 7, the incline of the upperwall lip 94 helps to guide the plug 72 into the correct longitudinalposition to engage the socket 70.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the contact of the button 74 with the top of thecurved side wall 86 tends to cause the active lock component 8 to movelaterally relative to the active lock component 7, such that furtherdownward movement of the active lock component 8 causes the bottom ofthe curved side face 102 to contact the guide side wall 90. The inclineof the guide side wall 90 combined with a downward force on the activelock component 7 causes the active lock component to move both downwardand laterally so as to: depress the button 74 so as to compress thespring 116 by pushing the button 74 against the curved side wall 86; andbring the straight side face 104 into alignment with the straight sidewall 88, as shown in FIG. 12B. As shown in FIG. 13B, further downwardmovement of the active lock component 8 brings the button hole 76 intoalignment with the button 74 permitting the spring 116 to expand so asto cause the button 74 to project through the button hole 76, thussecuring the active lock component 8 to the passive lock component 7 inthe closed position.

In the closed position, the presence of the button 74 within the buttonhole 76 impedes upward movement of the active lock component 8; theabutting of the straight side face 104 with the straight side wall 88and the abutting of the top of the curved side face 102 with the top ofthe curved side wall 86 impede lateral movement of the active lockcomponent 8; and the abutting of the lower wall lip 92 with the lowerface lip 108 resists longitudinal forces tending to separate the passiveand active lock components 7, 8.

The active lock component 8 may be released from the passive lockcomponent 7 by depressing the button 74 and moving the active lockcomponent 8 upwards.

The button 74 may be relatively small and unobtrusive, and therefore thelock 9 is particularly aesthetically appropriate for relatively smalltubing, such as 2.5 cm (1″) diameter. Further, in this embodiment, thegate arm 3, hinge 1 and lock 9 are configured to tie the handrail 2portion on one side of the gate opening to the handrail 2 portion on theother side of the gate opening so as to resist longitudinal tensionalforces tending to spread the handrails 2 on each side of the gateopening. This tying of the handrails 2 contributes to the overallstrength of the handrail 2 installation and tends to cause the gate arm3 to stay closed even if neighbouring portions of the handrail 2 arebent, such as by heavy objects or persons failing against them, or, inthe case of marine applications, due to wave impact in extreme stormconditions.

It will be clear that the lock 9 need not be associated with a hingepermitting the gate arm 3 to pivot through a full 180° and that variousother hinges may be used with the lock 9. Further, the gate arm 3 may bedesigned to telescope into the handrail 2 as long as there is sufficientplay at the end of the gate arm 3 to permit the mating portions of thelock components 7, 8 to clear each other as the gate arm 3 is telescopedin or out. As well, the gate arm 3 may be designed to be removable, byhaving a lock 9 at each end, or a lock 9 at one end and some other meansfor releasably engaging the handrail 2 at the other end.

The scope of the invention is not to be limited by the specific detailsdescribed, but is to be given the full scope established by the appendedclaims. As used in the appended claims, the word “tubing” means a hollowbar of any suitable profile (e.g., round, rectangular, oval).

1. For use with a handrail made of tubing, in the areas where it isdesirable to have a closeable access through the handrail, atwo-component lock for releasably connecting one terminating end of thehandrail to a pivoting gate arm made of tubing, the lock comprising incombination: a) an active lock component having a plug projectingsubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the active lockcomponent; b) a passive lock component, matinglyengageable/disengageable with the active lock component and having asocket configured for receiving the plug when a gate arm is in theclosed position, the socket having side walls to impede lateral movementof the plug within the socket and end walls to impede longitudinalmovement of the plug within the socket such that interference betweenthe passive and active lock components when they are engaged resistslongitudinal decoupling forces; and c) means for releasably securing theplug within the socket; wherein, the lock acts to connect the gate armand handrail so as to resist forces tending to move the gate arm andhandrail longitudinally away from each other.
 2. A lock as defined inclaim 1, wherein the means for releasably securing the plug within thesocket comprises; a) a manually-depressable button, attached to theactive lock component and biased to project from the plug; and b) a holethrough a socket side wall through which the button projects when theplug is seated within the socket; wherein, when the plug is seated inthe socket, opening movement of the gate arm is impeded by the buttonabutting a side of the hole, and the button may be manually depressed topermit opening movement of the gate arm.
 3. A lock as defined in claim2, wherein the button is in a bore within the plug and a spring biasesthe button to project from the plug.
 4. A lock as defined in claim 3,wherein: a) the button is in a sleeve in the bore; b) the spring is acoil spring positioned between the button and the bottom of the bore; c)the button has an annular shoulder proximate to its inner end; d) thesleeve has an annular retainer proximate to its outer end; and e) thespring biases the button so as to tend to cause the shoulder to abut theretainer.
 5. A lock as defined in claim 2, wherein the lock componentsinclude one or more guiding surfaces to help guide the plug and socketduring movement of the lock components toward the closed position, intothe required alignment for the plug to seat in the socket.
 6. A lock asdefined in claim 5, wherein the guiding surfaces include alaterally-guiding surface for guiding the plug within the socket duringclosing such that the button is pushed against a side wall of the socketso as to depress the button.
 7. A lock as defined in claim 6, whereinthe laterally-guiding surface comprises a planar surface on the sidewall of the socket opposite the side wall containing the hole.
 8. A lockas defined in claim 5, wherein the guiding surfaces include one or morelongitudinally-guiding surfaces for helping to guide the plug and socketinto the required longitudinal alignment for the plug to seat in thesocket.
 9. A lock as defined in claim 8, wherein thelongitudinally-guiding surfaces include an inclined planar surface onthe plug.
 10. A lock as defined in claim 8, wherein thelongitudinally-guiding surfaces include an inclined planar end wall inthe socket.
 11. A lock as defined in claim 1, wherein: a) the activelock component comprises a stub for insertion into tubing so as toattach the active lock component to the tubing; and b) passive lockcomponent comprises a stub for insertion into tubing so as to attach thepassive lock component to the tubing.